Content:

(AbAbAb, AP, LLL, VVV, AA, DD, M) Very strong anti-biblical worldview portraying evil as more powerful than good where prayers to God are mocked, anti-patriotic elements demonizing the American government and a scene with a mocking rendition of the Star Spangled Banner; 10 profanities and 41 obscenities; strong graphic violence throughout movie, including scenes depicting human mutilation and torture, attempted rape, several shots of characters being shot at close range, a man’s fingers are severed, a man is burned alive, and many other acts of gruesome violence; no sex; no nudity; alcohol abuse depicted by one character; brief smoking of cigar and cigarettes and discussion of marijuana; and, revenge and suicide.

Summary:

THE HILLS HAVE EYES (2006) is a remake of Wes Craven’s 1977 horror movie about a vacation-turned-disaster when a family becomes stranded in a New Mexico desert and hunted by hideous, blood-thirsty “hill people. Incredibly self-indulgent, relentlessly violent and hopeless, this movie is a sadistic, bloody mess in which evil triumphs over good.

Review:

THE HILLS HAVE EYES (2006) is a remake of Wes Craven’s 1977 horror movie about a vacation-turned-disaster when a family becomes stranded in a New Mexico desert.

The Carter family has decided to spend their summer vacation trekking across the southwestern United States on a road trip to California. Although his family is less than thrilled about the expedition, Big Bob Carter (Ted Levine), a gruff police detective, is excited about the journey and convinced his family will warm up to the idea as the trip progresses. While refueling at a gas station in the remote New Mexico desert, a creepy gas station owner gives Bob directions for a scenic shortcut, which, as it turns out, leaves them stranded in the middle of a government atomic zone miles from civilization.

Bob departs to walk several miles back to the gas station and promises to return to his family shortly with help. Once night falls with Bob yet to have returned, however, the Carters soon discover they are being hunted by hideous, blood-thirsty “hill people,” mutants that have been deformed as a result of radiation from the U.S. government’s nuclear testing.

Just before Bob leaves for help, his wife Ethel (Kathleen Quinlan) leads her reluctant family in a prayer asking God to protect him and the rest of the family while he is gone for help. Ethel’s prayer, however, is viciously mocked with the events that soon follow.

Just as the Carters are tormented by the hill people, the movie’s audience is asked to suffer through an uneven narrative. By the middle of the movie, the most likable characters have already been violently murdered, which means that viewers, instead of pulling for the survivors, will likely find themselves simply rooting for the movie to end.

THE HILLS HAVE EYES (2006) was originally rated NC-17 by the Motion Picture Association of America, and one can only wonder how atrocious the original cut must have been. Nevertheless, Alexandre Aja’s remake is still incredibly self-indulgent, relentlessly violent and hopeless. Media-wise audiences will avoid this abhorrent movie.

In Brief:

THE HILLS HAVE EYES (2006) is a remake of Wes Craven’s 1977 horror movie about a family stranded in the New Mexico desert. The Carter family decides to spend their summer vacation trekking across southwestern United States on a road trip to California. Bob Carter, a gruff police detective, is excited about the journey and convinced his family will warm up to the idea as the trip progresses. Once their trailer breaks down in the middle of nowhere, the vacation turns into a disaster. The night falls, and the Carters try to fend off the hideous, blood-thirsty “hill people” that hunt them.

Incredibly self-indulgent, relentlessly violent and hopeless, this movie is a sadistic, bloody mess in which evil triumphs over good. Just as the Carters are tormented by the hill people, the movie’s audience is asked to suffer through an uneven narrative with excessive gory violence and strong language. The most likable characters have already been murdered by the middle of the movie, which means that viewers, instead of pulling for the survivors, will likely find themselves rooting for the movie to end. Media-wise audiences will avoid this abhorrent movie.